ABSENCE & PRESENCE

One of the exciting attributes of my work is the absence. Inspired by watercolors where the white of the paper (the ground) is left untouched, I look for the same quality in my work. It is one of the defining factors if a piece can leave the studio.

In watercolor, the paper is left untouched in areas. These areas allow light into the image. By doing this, the art is also unveiling itself. It cannot be mistaken for an actual representation of the object. It will remain an image on paper.

In my work, stitches are left out. It allows for light into the art in the same way watercolor does. The lack of stitches allows the debris netting to be exposed. The material on which the piece is created is as important as what is created on it.

It also allows the viewer to see to the other side of the art. So the viewer can see THROUGH the piece. The stitches block the sightline, define the space of the art (as in the art is here).

By allowing the viewer to see through the work, the metaphor for absence and presence builds. What is left out is as important as what is left in. What can be seen on the other side is as important as the barrier (or art in this case).

May we strive to look at others this way. To recognize their physical attributes, and at the same time witness what is on the inside.

WHAT AM I DOING?

I just finished listening to Jerry Saltz narrate his book “How to be an Artist”. Totally recommend listening to him read the book - its way different than listening to your own voice in your head read the same pages.

One of the chapters is to write about your work. Here I go…

What am I doing?

I love Color Field art. Like as much as I love my kids. Love.

Recently someone I respected said they thought those yellow and red squares were bullshit and were the simplest way to make meaningless art. WOAH. OK. So what is it about Color Field art that makes MY heart zing?

Let’s go back…

My family is from Holland, like off the plane Dutch. My father’s side of the family are all in the flowerbulb business. I grew up in the bulb part of the business here in the states. Bulbs are the brown and gold onion looking things that 6 months later show their color. There were a few times I got to go over in the spring.At that time of year, the bulbs are flowering. Fields that other times of the year are wet sand colored are FILLED with blocks of yellow, red, pink. I would ride in the back of the car through these color fields. Sometimes we would stop, and I could walk up to, then into these fields of a single color.

Something happens when I stand in a field of color bigger than my body. There is a release of a tension in my skin. I can feel something inside fall away, and something that I would describe as my life force expand. It is a crazy feeling. It’s the same as when I stare at Color Field art.

I had issues with Color Field painting too.. Its awfully square. Rigid. Confining in contrast to the field of color within. Dude, way to make an incredible feeling and control it. I resent those perfectly straight controlled perfect lines.

What if I went Oprah on Color Field art?

Oprah is at her most beautiful when she is at her physically biggest. She takes up space. She physically confronts. It is the most magnificent display of feminine beauty.

This is not frail, wispy, pre-pubescent feminine idealized in fashion. Even I could snap their arms. Oprah beauty harnesses the great divine feminine. It reminds me of Michealangelo’s Pieta - her ass is HUGE! The Pieta is a mountain, a force of nature that is as great as the Earth we walk upon.

What if I took what i loved about Color Field art and went Great Divine Feminine on it?

That is what I am doing.

RADIO!!!!

I recently got to be a guest on the radio! It was super exciting and I got to meet Andy Monk who teaches crochet to talk about LGBTQ teens and homelessness.

Andy Monk uses craft to engage pedestrians in learning to crochet. As he is teaching, he engages in a conversation about teens that are homeless, that could use the blanket they are crocheting. A lot of these teens identify as LGBTQ+. It is a brilliant way to engage peoples hearts.

The two of us spoke on the radio, about craft. The AIDS quilt was HUGE (an element of my work) and went straight to the heart of the people whose lives ended because of the disease (Andy’s work). It’s amazing how something that is craft, can be a powerful to connect with the heart directly.

Have a listen! click here!

WOAH. that's big!

The new series are big. These are 10.5 feet square. They are bigger than the body. They are taller than you and wider than you.

When you can see the piece from far away, - which is cool since it is meant to be seen outdoors where there is a lot of space - you see the image. As you get closer, the image falls apart and you can see the stitches. And then the expansiveness of the color, so much color!!!!! Hanging in air.

To me to go big is to claim space. It is a declaration that I intend to be seen, and my what I make is bigger than you. To go big - to claim space like the big guns - Nevelson, Coyne, von Rydingsvard, takes courage. But then all art takes courage. It goes against the values of being a good girl. i am not good and I am not a girl. I am a woman. And I do far more good for the world when I let go of being good.

When you see the work, what do you think of the size? Do you want to step into your bigness?